consider how you feel after vigorous exercise.
Faster? Stronger?
There’s still much research needed to determine how much exercise—and of what type—is most beneficial. For now, however, it’s clear that vigorous aerobic activity offers brain benefits. Walking is better than not walking. But adding intensity—and resistance—may offer a robust advantage.
One recent small study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress offered evidence that a program of high-intensity interval training, plus resistance training, may help improve cognitive function. 11
For the study, six middle-age men and women participated in a four-month exercise program, which included two days a week of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The training consisted of thirty minutes of exercise followed by ten minutes of high-intensity interval training, which involved intervals of thirty seconds of sprints and thirty seconds of lower-intensity cycling. Participants also had twice-weekly resistance training sessions.
After four months, the HIIT participants showed a 10 to 25 percent improvement in cognitive processing speed and short-term memory, as well as increased blood flow to their frontal lobes. This may be an indicator that short bursts of intensity promote mitochondrial biogenesis in the brain, just as they do in muscles.
One shortcoming of the study was that it did not include a control group that had only continuous moderate exercise, without HIIT. However, other studies have shown high-intensity exercise significantly increases the number of mitochondria, 12 so I favor adding short bursts of HIIT at the end of my own fitness training.
The Stroke Link
You’ll read in chapter 12 about the devastating effects of a stroke, which is, without question, one of the biggest brain shrinkers. Imagine if we had an intervention that proved highly effective in reducing the risk of stroke. What if it were free? What if it were accessible to almost everyone, at any age?
You’ve guessed where I’m going with this, I’m sure. We do have such an intervention: exercise. Physical activity can go a long way to reducing a variety of vascular risk factors, which in turn reduce the risk of stroke. And it’s not a small effect.
In one study published in 2011, a team of researchers looked at 1,238 stroke-free participants enrolled in the Northern Manhattan Study. 13 Participants’ average age was seventy, and all underwent MRIs to check for silent strokes. They were then sorted into quartiles based on their physical activity levels. Compared to those who didn’t exercise, those in the highest quartile exercise group were almost half as likely to show small strokes on their MRIs.
Exercise boosts BDNF, enhances oxygen flow, and promotes healthy brain activity. The more you increase your fitness, the more you will build a bigger “memory muscle” in your hippocampus. For optimal brain growth, I recommend thirty minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus fifteen minutes of resistance training, five days a week.
Your Rx
You need to exercise, but don’t head to the gym until you have the “all clear” from your doctor. In the meantime, here’s a preview of the tracks you’ll choose from in chapter 8 as part of your brain fitness program:
Track 1
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and are currently not exercising at all, this is your track. I want you to exercise, but I don’t expect you to run a marathon (at least not anytime soon). As excited as you are, be sure to start slowly. You don’t want to risk an injury. If you have physical limitations, talk to your doctor about substitutions for walking or jogging.
Week One: Start by walking for ten minutes at a time, three days a week.
Week Two: Increase your walking time to fifteen minutes, three days a week.
Week Three: Increase your walking time to twenty minutes, three days a week. In addition to your scheduled time, find ways to work activity into every day. Take the stairs, park
Faster? Stronger?
There’s still much research needed to determine how much exercise—and of what type—is most beneficial. For now, however, it’s clear that vigorous aerobic activity offers brain benefits. Walking is better than not walking. But adding intensity—and resistance—may offer a robust advantage.
One recent small study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress offered evidence that a program of high-intensity interval training, plus resistance training, may help improve cognitive function. 11
For the study, six middle-age men and women participated in a four-month exercise program, which included two days a week of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The training consisted of thirty minutes of exercise followed by ten minutes of high-intensity interval training, which involved intervals of thirty seconds of sprints and thirty seconds of lower-intensity cycling. Participants also had twice-weekly resistance training sessions.
After four months, the HIIT participants showed a 10 to 25 percent improvement in cognitive processing speed and short-term memory, as well as increased blood flow to their frontal lobes. This may be an indicator that short bursts of intensity promote mitochondrial biogenesis in the brain, just as they do in muscles.
One shortcoming of the study was that it did not include a control group that had only continuous moderate exercise, without HIIT. However, other studies have shown high-intensity exercise significantly increases the number of mitochondria, 12 so I favor adding short bursts of HIIT at the end of my own fitness training.
The Stroke Link
You’ll read in chapter 12 about the devastating effects of a stroke, which is, without question, one of the biggest brain shrinkers. Imagine if we had an intervention that proved highly effective in reducing the risk of stroke. What if it were free? What if it were accessible to almost everyone, at any age?
You’ve guessed where I’m going with this, I’m sure. We do have such an intervention: exercise. Physical activity can go a long way to reducing a variety of vascular risk factors, which in turn reduce the risk of stroke. And it’s not a small effect.
In one study published in 2011, a team of researchers looked at 1,238 stroke-free participants enrolled in the Northern Manhattan Study. 13 Participants’ average age was seventy, and all underwent MRIs to check for silent strokes. They were then sorted into quartiles based on their physical activity levels. Compared to those who didn’t exercise, those in the highest quartile exercise group were almost half as likely to show small strokes on their MRIs.
Exercise boosts BDNF, enhances oxygen flow, and promotes healthy brain activity. The more you increase your fitness, the more you will build a bigger “memory muscle” in your hippocampus. For optimal brain growth, I recommend thirty minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus fifteen minutes of resistance training, five days a week.
Your Rx
You need to exercise, but don’t head to the gym until you have the “all clear” from your doctor. In the meantime, here’s a preview of the tracks you’ll choose from in chapter 8 as part of your brain fitness program:
Track 1
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and are currently not exercising at all, this is your track. I want you to exercise, but I don’t expect you to run a marathon (at least not anytime soon). As excited as you are, be sure to start slowly. You don’t want to risk an injury. If you have physical limitations, talk to your doctor about substitutions for walking or jogging.
Week One: Start by walking for ten minutes at a time, three days a week.
Week Two: Increase your walking time to fifteen minutes, three days a week.
Week Three: Increase your walking time to twenty minutes, three days a week. In addition to your scheduled time, find ways to work activity into every day. Take the stairs, park
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